The Fearful Little Doll
by w-b-d-n
Summary: Alice Munro begins to learn the true meaning of fear through the harsh day to day realities that living on the frontier has to offer. Luckily, she has four companions helping her along the way; including one mystery that she can't seem to figure out. (Set during and after the events of the movie, with a different outcome having happened on that cliff's edge.) Uncas/Alice
1. Chapter 1

There was a time when _fear_ was an emotion that Alice Munro had never _truly_ experienced.

 _Of course_ , despite her privileged and care-free upbringing, she had _naturally_ felt anguish and sadness at times. She could easily recall the heartache she endured whenever her father would declare his imminent departure for battles or, _even more easily_ , she could remember the times Cora would leave to play her part in the medicinal recuperation of the war-wounded men.

Admittedly, Alice herself could agree that she had always had a somewhat _ignorant_ outlook on life which, in turn, made it easy to presume their inevitable homecoming; as if there could be no other outcome.

Life had always unfolded in her favour and she never knew anything other than the comfort and safety of her everyday life in London.

 **That all changed, not five days ago.**

Alice's inner _fear_ was awakened the moment she fell from her horse and the subsequent attack on her company ensued. Though Cora had shielded her eyes, the sounds of brutal hacking and shooting were enough to pierce her ignorant safety blanket and tear her innocence from her.

Despite their rescue at the hands of three respectable strangers, her newly attained _fear_ did not subside.

Upon the ambush by the Huron men on her father's cavalry, Alice bore witness to the savage slaughtering of noble English men and lost herself in the process. She could still recall the feeling of the savage's harsh grip on her cheeks, sizing her up to join the fallen before Cora had intervened; putting her own life at risk.

For surely, in that moment, Alice had reached the very peak of _fear_.

 _How foolish of me_ , she later thought.

 **It could no longer be pegged down to just** _ **fear**_ **now.** The unfamiliar, all-consuming emotion was enough to choke her of all her other feelings. Even now, as her shoulder was pushed and prodded, she felt numb to the pain.

She followed their beaten path, kicked dust up with them in their stead and yet, she could not recall the previous second as a new one unfolded before her; _even if she tried_. She could no longer see nor hear, she only knew what it was to gasp for air; to silently pray to be free of this never-ending nightmare.

And it would **never end** , it seemed. With every passing moment, she was pushed the furthest she'd been from Cora since she was a small girl and Cora had left their home to go and assist Mr Phelps abroad.

For the first time in her life, _she was completely alone_.

Troublingly to her most, was that Alice knew not of her sister's fate; nor Nathaniel's, nor Chingachgook's, nor Duncan's, nor Uncas'. In such a short space of time, they had become her new reality and now even _that_ was being taken from her. She didn't know how to reconcile with the fact that she was likely to never see any of them again.

She now dreads to imagine what lies ahead of her, once again choosing ignorance in hopes of delaying the inevitable.

The view before her was unlike anything she had ever seen. The seemingly infinite canyon reminded Alice of just how _big_ the world was outside of England and here she stood, a miniscule speck of dust in comparison, feeling more lost than ever.

A quick glance down was to see that the cliff's edge was perilously close, and she half wondered if they were planning to just _throw her off the side_ and be done with it.

As she sized up the dizzying height, Alice was reminded of just how _lost_ she really was when her weak body collided with the back of the Huron in front; whose grip in dragging her had been so tight, she would probably feel the ghost of it for days to come. Her shoulder's then felt the barge of the men behind her, rushing to the front of the party to assist in the ensuing chaos that lay just out of vision.

A single gun-shot ricocheted out into the vast canyons and as they turned the corner, Alice's heart stopped at the sight of a familiar deep green tunic.

A **lone** tunic.

 _Where were the others_? She dreads to think.

Entirely outnumbered, she helplessly watches on as the young Mohican disposes of three Huron's before boldly taking on Magua himself.

There was no method to his attack, which worried Alice. It didn't seem as though this was any kind of distraction or ploy. _He really was alone…_

Her lips were so dry, they almost hurt to part. Her throat so dehydrated, she could not even scream. The only moisture came from her eyes, as they shut in terror at the sight of Magua's dagger slashing Uncas' abdomen.

o - o - o - o - o

Uncas stared down at his newly acquired wound, visibly astounded at its very existence. It was like a firm slap to the face of one who was acting senseless. _A reality check_ , so to speak.

He wondered how he had gotten himself here in the first place, for surely now his fate was sealed beyond all comprehension. His body froze with the weight of his actions; the realization that he was likely not to survive this encounter hitting him hard.

Nevertheless, Uncas instinctively raised his head and he soon clapped eyes on the _reason_ for his valiant, if not reckless, cause. _The little doll_.

Alice had been taken, and that was reason enough it seemed. He was here now **, there was to be no going back**.

 _For honour_ , not glory.

Pushing Magua backwards, the two men climbed atop the rock onto the cliff's very edge and unsheathed their weapons properly.

In that moment, the normally _fearful_ Alice would have taken the fate that was to have befallen her in Magua's camp thrice over, if it meant sparing Uncas' life. Even now she could not bring herself to watch as he was overpowered, instead shielding her head over her shoulder. Silently, she began to pray for God's mercy, wincing anytime she heard a new slash dice into Uncas' skin.

Only when the distant sound of gunshots rang out, did she dare turn again. All present, including Uncas and Magua, averted their attention to the approaching warriors.

Chingachgook and Hawkeye, undeterred by the outnumbering, descended upon the scene, shooting seamlessly as they quickly advanced upon the group. Like two eagle's swooping in, they glided across the rock front with the same ease and power as the birds of prey.

Eying his blood son's predicament, Chingachgook zoned in on Magua; leaving his white son to masterfully deal with the others. The elder would not live to see the day his son joined the great council fire of his people before him.

 **No**.

 _He would go first, and Uncas would join_ _**him**_ _there._ He assured himself as he leapt into action.

Alice did not know where to look or how to feel. Relief would not come until all were safe. Even then, of course, there was the burning question of her sister's location and safety. _Perhaps Cora and Duncan had stayed back, allowing the skilled fighters to handle the rescue?_

o - o - o - o - o

 _For honour,_ Chingachgook declared to the Maker, before spinning on the spot and delivering the final blow to Magua; in doing so, avenging the deaths of the fallen Mohawk brothers, English soldiers and innocent settlers that he had so ruthlessly murdered in his quest for revenge.

Uncas gripped his gut with his good arm and watched as Magua crumbled to the ground; his bones broken and his spirit now free to join his slain family before him.

He briefly shut his eyes and thanked the Maker that it was Magua, _not he_ , who lay dead upon the cliff's edge. _He also dared not look up_. For to meet his father's gaze was to be confronted with the weight of his reckless actions and right now, Uncas did not have an answer for them.

o - o - o - o - o

Truthfully speaking, Chingachgook had been entirely dumbfounded at his son's radical mission to go after the captured girl. He would have expected this kind of irrational reaction from Hawkeye, _it's true_ , but **Uncas**? _Never_.

He flicked his gaze and beheld the Yengeese girl, who stood off to the side, with her thousand-mile long stare and quivering frame. His mind and heart were heavy with the revelation that his son had almost **lost** **his life** for this **little lamb**.

 _Would she have forgone the gift of life and committed herself to the same sacrifice as my son_? He wondered before mutely mourning the answer.

o - o - o - o - o

Dusk descended upon the blissfully reunited yet wholly spent companions.

'Where is Duncan?'

The second the words left Alice's mouth, Cora's eyes widened with sombreness. In that moment, she held the weight of a man's life on her shoulders and quietly accepted that she probably always would. _Rightly so_ , she understood.

' _Gone._ ' Cora barely croaked out, still attempting to tear the material of her dress though the ripples in the fabric gave away her shaking.

'Died with honour, a true testament of England's _good_ men.' Nathaniel chimed in from across the way, as he observed the irreparable damages done to the muskets.

Alice's eyes glossed over, and her throat began to close in. _Duncan gone too?_

Her eyes pierced the air as she stared at Cora and Nathaniel continuing to perform their mundane tasks as though this disclosure was just a piece of trivial information. _Was there truly to be no grieving?_ _Were they simply to just_ _ **carry on**_ _as though Duncan had been no more than a mere garment, ripped until it was no longer of use?_

Pulling her legs up and resting her head low, Alice said no more for the rest of the night. Even as Chingachook and Uncas returned to the little makeshift camp, a couple of small foxes on the senior's back as Uncas limped behind him, Alice made no peep.

In their absence, Cora had effectively prepared everything she could with the limited materials they had and, not willing to wait until morning, began stitching Uncas up using only the campfire for light.

o - o - o - o - o

As the flames flickered and spat, Uncas took the time to observe his surroundings. His eyes began to skip along an imaginary path until they reached the other side of the fire.

Before the unspeakable happened, Alexandra Cameron had showcased an heirloom, _a doll,_ that sat high on the shelf, away from the destructive minds of children. It was the only one of its kind in the region; _so far as Uncas had ever seen_ , at least. Its exterior had been delicate, glass-like, and she had been painted to have colour in her cheeks with her light hair braided into perfection atop her head and she bore a gown worn by the white women of wealth.

Uncas had not known at the time that the doll was the representation of _real_ _women_ that existed beyond the frontier. _Until now_ , of course.

Even if the Maker of all Life called down and asked Uncas why he had staked his life on the line for _the doll_ , he would have no more of an answer than he had for his father.

The Munro girl had spoken not three sentences to him, as silent as _the doll_ he now compared her to. Yet somehow, Uncas **understood** her silence.

For she was _fragile_ , just like _the doll_. Her innocence to the perils of a harsh and hard-working life did not hold Uncas' judgment. Instead, he found it fascinating. _Rare_. The women he was used to seeing were tough, like the men. They bore children with the resilience of a warrior; they kept camp, they harvested in the sweltering heat and carved and weaved in the freezing chill.

It was obvious from the start that _the doll_ could do none of that. Uncas wasn't even sure she knew how to light a fire _..._

But for some inexplicable reason, in the rare moment's he was out of tune with his surroundings, he would find himself helpless to prevent the drawing of his gaze.

He would observe her mannerisms and features, constantly comparing them to what he already knew. The Delaware women did not have light in their hair like she, nor were they dainty in shape. Their eyes were dark, almost black, like his own, and the Munro girl held eyes as light as the leaves that coloured in the fall, with skin just as fair.

 _Sometimes, Alice could feel the sensation of being watched but her non-subtle body language made it easy for Uncas to avert his eyes before she ever caught on._

Likewise, Uncas could always sense the piercing eyes of his _father_. They had spent their time hunting in devout silence, with Uncas worriedly desiring for a vocal reprimand rather than this torturous silent punishment.

o - o - o - o - o

Cora broke the silence of the camp first, inquiring ' _what now_?' and startling only Alice in the process.

'We continue North; we have friends, relatives of the Cameron's we must inform and bare our condolences to.' Nathaniel answered, stoking the fire.

'I see.' She nodded, her voice low and mournful.

Having finished wrapping the stitches in the fabric of her dress, Uncas nodded his head in thanks to Cora before rousing to his feet and walking over to assist his father in the skinning of the foxes.

From her spot in the corner Alice's pupils watched Uncas' movements with great interest, pulling her knees closer to her chest in the meantime.

They had spoken **not a** **single word** to each other since the cliff's and Alice could feel herself becoming overwhelmed by the heaviness of it all. _How does one simply "thank" another for such a monumental sacrifice_?

The longer they went without speaking, the more ill-mannered Alice felt. They may be far from home, but Alice still had some of her old ways about her.

 _Tomorrow,_ Alice resolved to herself, _I shall do it tomorrow._


	2. Chapter 2

Wiping her forehead with her already damp sleeve _,_ Alice stared forward and squinted at the seemingly endless trail ahead. Her ears were filled with nothing bar the sound of her own heavy breathing and her weighty limbs bore a sensation similar to what she imagined being roasted on a fire felt like.

The sun was sweltering down on the travellers and after many hours of walking, Alice's weak and frail body was beginning to run on empty. Not only was her stomach caving in on itself, her body was beginning to feel the after effects of insomnia. For her mind had let her down last night – once again refusing to quieten. The very moment her eyes dared to shut, they were confronted with the horrors of the last few days.

 _What was the use anyway?_ No amount of rest could have prepared her for the trek that lay ahead and the task she had set for herself.

Alice's intentions to speak with Uncas were still at the forefront of her mind but, as she peered up at the cloudless sky, she felt her confidence slip with every step she took. Her body was doused in sweat, her hair showed the lingering signs of grease and her dress now matched the dark shade of the ground. She felt repulsive.

The sheer mortification at the very idea of being in anyone's company in this state, let alone that of three men, bothered her greatly.

o - o - o - o - o

She bounded along in front of him with about as much grace, and speed for that matter, as an overweight buffalo. Her steps were blighted by misjudged footing, her palms now scuffed from the vast number of times she had caught herself when falling. For one so educated in the art of decorum, her grunts and moans spoke entirely unto themselves.

Yet Uncas did not seem to mind. In fact, his usual station of rear guard had become a far more pleasant post since the company of the struggling Monroe girl was now almost always guaranteed. It amused him to no end that one so delicate and lithe could cause such heavy waves and vibrations with their movements. From his post, he could observe how her chest rose and fell in utter exasperation anytime she noticed that the huge progress being made in her mind was quite minimal in the grand scheme of things.

' _N'DAJÓM_!' Chingachgook called out for his son from the front, stirring Uncas out of his haze and forward for a moment. Hawkeye and their father had disagreed on what path was the safer option and the elder wanted Uncas to cast the deciding vote; as he so often did.

He was not sure why, but as he advanced past her, Uncas lay a comforting hand on Alice's shoulder. _I'll return soon enough_ , it said.

o - o - o - o - o

They were to camp for one more night; with Chingachgook determining that they would reach the settlement before nightfall the next day.

After a brief conversation amongst themselves, (the three men had debated about who was capable enough to stay and guard), Nathaniel decided to take the first watch; with Cora then immediately offering to join him. Alone, they would discuss their future.

Ultimately, Alice was left with Chingachgook whilst Uncas went out to hunt on his own – as he was determined to shake the burden of his wounds.

The elder Mohican sat contently beside the fire, watching it wistfully and murmuring under his breath. Alice observed curiously for a moment or two before deducing that he was most likely praying and so no longer felt comfortable watching. Left alone with her thoughts, she dwelled on how efficient she was at being insufficient. Her mortification at turning a straightforward trek into _another_ rescue mission (earlier, she had gotten her foot wedged between two rocks) took a mighty toll on what was left of her fraying confidence. Even worse to her, was that Cora seemed to be adjusting just fine to their new pace of life; leaving Alice to feel like a disappointment in comparison.

The fire spat loudly at her and she found herself brought back from the dark recess of her mind. In an attempt to distract herself from these heavy self-criticisms and the biting chill brought on by the steeply dropping temperatures, Alice looked around and wondered where in the world she was; for she had never seen trees so tall in her life.

o - o - o - o - o

Upon Uncas' return, Chingachgook took over the watch as the rest feasted.

Alice's body was beyond emancipated at this point. However, despite the hunger she bore, she could never bring herself to eat much at the meals. Watching the raw game be skinned and cooked every night made her stomach turn and it was difficult to forget such a sight when it came to the eating portion. She relished the moments when they would find fruits, like berries, along their travels.

'You should eat more, Miss.' Nathaniel observed, causing Cora and Uncas to look up and turn their heads towards Alice. 'This terrain is a harsh mistress, you need your strength and wits about you. Danger lurks in these woods; _my brother cannot assist you at every turn._ ' He was serious, but it was clear to those who knew him well that he was also teasing her.

Alice did not like it. Back home in England, the men never openly "joked" with the women like that.

Yes it was true that Cora had been around men of war in the past and was easily able to give as good as she got, and Nathaniel openly liked that about her. But Cora was a rare case.

Often, Alice felt too shy or self-conscious to say something aloud for fear Nathaniel would find her words foolish or obvious. She had not been through the kind of life experience that Cora had and did not know how to respond accordingly. So, naturally, his words had embarrassed her.

She shifted awkwardly, now feeling her presence to be a burden upon everyone; especially Uncas.

o - o - o - o - o

Out of the corner of his eye, Uncas observed Alice's head droop low at his brother's words.

Truthfully, he had not seen a problem with what Hawkeye had said; having understood his brother's humour. He was, however, quick to notice that it had troubled Alice for some reason and that had caught his attention. She was a noiseless little doll, and he could tell that these kinds of criticisms would only force her back into her shell more.

 _Perhaps it was because he too favoured to use words sparingly, that he empathised with her._

The difference was that whilst his silence was self-implemented, Uncas recognised that Alice's had been forced upon her against her will; that it had crept up on her, wrapped its way around her mouth and gagged her before she even knew it was happening. What's more, he had watched it happen before his very eyes.

Uncas knew that Nathaniel was not purposely intending to be mean-spirited _._ On the contrary, his brother worried for the girl. He hoped his efforts with being a little harsher on Alice than what she was used to would help build her a thick skin. The horrors she had witnessed thus far were but a taste of normality out here on the frontier.

o - o - o - o - o

The night was quiet, and the fire was clinging to its last glowing embers.

Nathaniel and Cora sat off a little distance away, continuing to bare their souls; as they had been since the moment they promised themselves to one another. Although Cora would quietly address her disapproval of his wisecrack from earlier at the expense of her sister.

Chingachgook sat upright against a tree, his eyes shut in peaceful slumber.

Alice lay amongst the twigs and stones, staring up at the clear night sky vacantly. She could recall complaining once about the feather's that made up her mattress back home and felt pangs of envy at the very thought. _Oh how she would put up with lumpy goose feathers now…_

This night, Alice's mind was clouded with visions of the dead. Duncan, especially, and the brave men at the fort who fought for her father until their dying moments - **All lost, never to return.**

o - o - o - o - o

Uncas relished in taking the night watch. He lived for the tranquillity that the twilight hours had to offer. Listening to the whispers of the breeze allowed him to meditate and make peace with the daily trials that life threw his way.

Tonight, more than ever, Uncas appreciated the isolation. His father and brother had become increasingly bothersome; watching him regularly for fear his wounds had caused him to become delirious.

 _Running after the Yengeese girl without so much as a single thought for his own life_? It seemed absurd. And Uncas could agree, _it was absurd._

 _Yes, it was nice to get away and be alone with nature_. Though his segregation was short-lived.

He had sensed her long before her breathing became audible behind him. She had flittered around for a couple of minutes, the distant snapping of twigs telling him that she had thought of turning back once or twice.

o - o - o - o - o

' _May I- may I join you_?' She asked him timidly, the request being the first words she'd spoken all day. Alice had nowhere else to go and truthfully, there was nowhere else she wanted to be right now. The man in front of her was still a mystery and she had found herself more and more like a moth drawn to the flame with every passing moment they spent in one another's company.

Uncas made no reply, instead shifting over so that there was room for her to sit on the rock next to him. Wrapping her arms around herself, she stepped up and sat beside him.

'Cold?' He inquired.

Despite feeling frozen, Alice shook her head lightly; Nathaniel's words of burden still lay deep within her conscience.

Continuing to carefully keep watch, Uncas relaxed himself enough to lecture her – albeit a little more gently than his brother. 'You should be resting, we walk many miles come dawn.'

'I cannot.' She answered quickly, surprising them both with her immediate response. Uncas glanced over and noted her paleness in the nights luminosity.

Picking at the protruding broken linings of her dress, Alice continued despite her inner reluctance to do so. 'I cannot seem to rid my mind of the dead's memory. There's no escape from it. _What fairness is there in the world that I be here and they not here with me_?'

If not for the serious nature of her words, he may have let out a little laugh. Touched by the fact that she'd never opened-up about _anything_ to _anyone_ since she'd entered their company, Uncas raised an eyebrow in intrigue.

Unaware of the way it had bridged gaps for Nathaniel and Cora's differences before them, the young Mohican decided to soothe Alice's troubled mind with the lore of the stars, the sun and his brother, the moon; taught to him by his father.

o - o - o - o - o

'Mourn not the dead,' he finished, continuing to raise his head to the sky, 'for they rest in eternal peace alongside one another at the great alter of life.'

Alice's eyes traced Uncas' face before following suit and looking up at the stars. In that moment, she swore she had never seen so many in her life.

She had listened intently to Uncas' words, finding them to be the most comfort she'd felt in a long while. In her experience, men tended to simply humour women with their conversation; but, alas, it was never done with the same level of respect and gravitas exuded as when they spoke man-to-man. Whilst all along she had felt a genuine touch to Duncan's words, never had a man gone out of his way to properly explain something to her.

Then again, they had never specifically taken a cut to the abdomen for her either.

Alice's breathing quickened as she became hyper-aware of their seclusion from the others. Her eyes reverted down again, and beyond her reasons of understanding, she recalled in that moment the two times Uncas had held her.

She had never been that close to a man before and, at the time, Alice found that she couldn't tell what she was more terrified of; _Uncas_ , or the rapidly advancing French.

The subsequent time, in the cave beneath the cliff, was a blurring experience that Alice could barely recall. The only thing she could remember was his comforting touch, and how he had held her until **she** let go; _not the other way around_. Both moments now felt like a dream that she was unable to confirm had taken place.

She looked at him now, draped in the moon's glow, and wished more than anything, that he would hold her again and that for once, she could cling back to him.

o - o - o - o - o

Uncas stared down at the sleeping figure, wrapped in the blanket Cora had stitched out of the furs they had been collecting to keep his wounds from becoming frostbitten in the night.

'Bore her to sleep, did you brother?'

Uncas' eyes flicked up in surprise and he was unsettled with the notion that he had not heard Hawkeye approach. _His attention had been elsewhere apparently…_

The two men beheld one another, Uncas' cool exterior giving nothing away as Hawkeye smirked at him before peering down at Alice slumbering next to him.

Nathaniel was not entirely pleased with the spark that had arisen between his brother and Cora's sister, it was true. He was weary that Alice was not the woman her sister was. _She was just a girl_ , all things considered.

However, it intrigued him to no end to see his brother take to her like this. Uncas had rarely shown any interest in women before and it worried Chingachgook to see that, thus far, his son seemed to have no real desire to settle. It was even stranger given the looks that women would offer him when he crossed their path. Uncas was a fine-looking man, even by white standards, and could have easily had any Chief's daughter he wanted. And yet, he took pleasure in avoiding the conversation at all costs. Preferring instead to talk about a hunt or their next destination.

So strange it seemed, for all involved, that he would throw all caution to the wind for the sake of a Yengeese girl _._

'Wake her.' Hawkeye advised, 'we'll want to set off just before dawn. I can feel thunder in the air.'

* * *

 **A/N: Truly, I am overwhelmed and beyond grateful to everyone who has taken the time to read, review, favourite and follow this story. Whilst I am very aware I am not the world's greatest writer/author, I truly appreciate, and have taken on board, all of the constructive advice given to me and have done my best to change a few things around. English is not my first language, so I do hope you'll forgive me if it's not perfect.**

 **My nerves at posting these subsequent chapters has shown through my lack of uploading. However I never expected the response that I have received thus far and for that, I am so, so, sooo very thankful. Such beautiful and kind words that have filled me with an indescribable joy.**

 **Once again, thank you so much for taking the time to give it a read and I hope not to be so absent in the future with uploads. This chapter is more jumpy than I would have liked, but i'm still finding my feet.** **Love, love, love 3**


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